O’Malley Signs Death Penalty Repeal

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Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) signed a bill Thursday repealing the state’s death penalty, CNN reported. The legislation, a top priority for O’Malley, will take effect on Oct. 1. 

“Maryland has effectively eliminated a policy that is proven not to work. Evidence shows that the death penalty is not a deterrent, it cannot be administered without racial bias, and it costs three times as much as life in prison without parole,” the governor’s office said in a statement.

In current cases where the state is seeking the death penalty, “the notice shall be considered withdrawn and it shall be considered a notice to seek a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole under specified circumstances,” O’Malley’s office said.

O’Malley, who is considered a top 2016 presidential contender, successfully implemented other liberal priorities including gun control measures and legalizing same-sex marriage.

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